


playing house

by banesexual



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Everyone Is Gay, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2017-09-19
Packaged: 2018-12-31 14:47:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12134754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/banesexual/pseuds/banesexual
Summary: in a misguided attempt to help his siblings come out, jace asks simon to be his 'boyfriend' for one big Gay family dinner~ fake dating AU for @shadowhuntersaumondays





	playing house

**Author's Note:**

> so this is one of my All Time favourite tropes and yet i've never written it???? time to change that
> 
> i hope u enjoy!!! please let me know your thoughts in the comments and i'll continue staying up till 1am writing lmao ily xo

“Hey Lewis - we’re dating.”

They’re in the middle of lunch and everyone goes silent, watching Simon all but shrug. 

“Okay,” he says automatically, food halfway to his mouth before he freezes, “Wait, why?”

Jace takes the fry right out of Simon’s hand and grins, “Because us Lightwoods come out in threes.”

~

So maybe Jace didn’t think this through, and maybe he only realises this as Simon grabs for his hand at the table, making his stomach do all kinds of things that are way too real for their very fake date. 

Or family dinner.

Or communal coming out.

Or whatever this shit show is meant to be.

He can see Alec’s nerves kicking in, hands clenching as dread surges through him. They’ve talked about this for months, this _intangible_ where the words are finally there and out and _known_. Jace promised to help, in whatever way was needed, but he never expected it to be quite like this...

Because pretending to date Simon, he now knows, isn’t his best of ideas. And if Clary’s frantically whispered pep talk to his sister is any indication, their fake love isn’t making the situation any easier.

Although he can feel something new, a sense of calm joining the crazy and he looks over to see Magnus offering Alec a soft smile. It’s not much but it does wonders and he’s thankful for how well Magnus can read his brother after such a short time.

He turns to Izzy, who looks like she might be sick, then back to Simon who raises his eyebrows suggestively, sealing this ludicrous farce with a wink.

Jace rolls his eyes, takes a deep breath and begins.

“So,” he says slowly, letting the word sit there until he feels ready, “I like guys too. And Simon’s my boyfriend.”

It’s sudden but the whole night there’s been a definite build to  _something_ and nobody misses a beat.

“Yeah,” Izzy says, biting her lip, “And Clary and I aren’t just friends.”

They all turn to Alec, whose eyes are screaming _I’m fucking gay_ only nothing is coming out. The bond starts _!!!!!_ -ing and Jace makes eye contact and nods, telling Alec it’s okay, to take his time, that this moment is his.

Maryse catches the exchange and raises an eyebrow, “I’m assuming you and Magnus are dating too?”

Alec swallows, meeting her stare before nodding.

There’s silence, the scrape of a fork and then -

“Okay. I can’t say that I’m surprised,” Maryse says honestly, looking between them all, “You’re inseparable to say the least.”

“Wait...” Izzy says, dragging the word out like she needs the extra time to process, “You _knew_?”

Maryse smiles, “Of course I knew! I’m your mother.”

And Jace just about chokes.

“Even about me? And Simon?” he blurts, because she can’t mean them. Not when every ounce of _something more_ has been pushed to the very depths of his being.

“Oh honey you’re the worst one! I spotted those heart eyes from a mile away.”

And Simon laughs at that, loud and unashamed to the point where he’s fighting for air and Jace hopes he never gets some. Which is extreme, and unfair, but this is quickly turning into his very worst nightmare and he can’t have Simon finding out how he _feels_.

Thankfully he’s taking the entire thing as a joke, batting his eyelashes and making kissy faces that have both Izzy and Clary in hysterics.

It's painful but better than the alternative. 

“You’re enjoying this too much,” Jace grumbles and Simon leans in, close enough to press his lips to Jace's cheek before flashing a sickly sweet smile. 

“Sorry _babe.”_

Jace's stomach jolts in the best and very worst of ways and he’s about to curse the night when he realises it isn’t a complete disaster. Because away from this nonsense, Maryse and Alec are actually _talking._ And nobody is crying or yelling or getting sent to their rooms (mainly because Max is at their Dad’s and everyone present is beyond the age of archaic discipline but _still._ )

“So you’re okay with all of this?” Alec asks, finally finding his voice after years of selective tongue-tie and the way his words waver, just a little, is enough to make Maryse tear up.

“Of course I’m okay with it.” She sighs, offering her son a sad smile, “Look, my marriage didn’t work out. Who am I to make any comment on what love should or shouldn’t be? Besides, you all seem...lighter. Like you can share the weight of the world now. I remember what that felt like - it’s nice.”

And it is because Alec is smiling, honest-to God smiling, all-teeth and no trace of fear as he looks at Magnus and sees the goddamn world. Izzy’s scrunching up her nose as Clary sticks out her tongue and Jace thinks maybe, maybe, he’ll find this someday.

Or he'll find it again with someone who feels it too.

“You’re good for each other,” Maryse says seriously, looking between them all before grabbing for Simon’s hand and squeezing it, tight. “Really good.”

And it makes zero sense for her to be directing any of this at him but he smiles anyway, real as ever and Jace is suddenly overcome with how  _good_ Simon is.

How much he does for others and how easy this could be when Simon is just _there -_ doing everything and nothing all at once, helping Alec compose a flirty text, playing superheroes and villains with Max, talking trash TV with Maryse, showing Izzy how to bake – slotting into his life in this way that makes Jace feel off-kilter.

Because for all intents and purposes he supposes they _are_ dating.

At least in the eyes of his mom, who apparently knows all and has always known best.

He guesses they do spend most days together, and they don’t really stop texting or teasing and biting back in this way that’s all theirs. He wonders if his feelings have been that obvious from the beginning or if, God forbid, Simon’s seen through them tonight. 

“Hey, why did you agree to this?” Jace asks suddenly, voice low as the others carry on talking.

Simon blinks, “Oh, um, to help? If Rebecca had a girlfriend it would’ve made that first conversation so much easier.” He cringes,“It was so bad, Jace ohmygod - mom didn’t get it at first so I panicked and used  _props..._ I literally opened the cupboard and pulled out a fucking pan.”

Jace bursts out laughing, imagining Elaine’s well-meant questioning about how her son is also a kitchen utensil, “Holy shit why have you never told me this?”

Simon groans, “Because it is unbelievably humiliating.”

“It is,” Jace agrees, dodging Simon’s elbow to the ribs and grinning, “But it is also The Best coming out story of all time.”

“You mean better than tonight’s big gay-off?!” Simon asks, hand on his chest in pretend shock and Jace rolls his eyes fondly.

“Okay, second best.”

And for a moment, he forgets that this isn’t real, that they haven’t just gone through it all, telling the family with relative ease. The change in dynamic has felt all too easy, like it always is between them, but maybe that's just his feelings projecting...

“It didn’t weird you out, did it?” Jace asks, “Acting like this, I mean?”

Simon shakes his head, nose scrunched up in confusion, “Why would it weird me out? We’re best friends! Besides, I can think of worse boyfriends to have....”

The tone is full of implication and Jace tries his best to not smile. "You know, one day you're gonna have to forgive Raphael."

“Yes but answer me this, Jace:  _who asks you to junior prom then accepts a better offer hours later_?!”

It was years ago but Jace still remembers Simon at his front door, crying about Meliorn stealing his boyfriend of three weeks. Jace had hugged him and binge-watched _Star Wars_ until the only thing Simon could talk about was jedis. They fell asleep on the couch together and Jace thinks even then, he was starting to fall. 

“Hey! Your replacement prom date was more than sufficient,” Jace argues, arms crossed in mock offence and Simon laughs.

“God, we really have a history with this whole fake boyfriend thing. We might as well make it official!”

And it's meant to be a joke, another of their Things but tonight's turn of events has made Jace weak and he can’t help but sigh.

“Hey,” Simon says softly, searching for Jace’s eyes which are suddenly glued to his empty plate, “What’s wrong?”

“No – I just...please don’t say that unless you mean it.”

It’s barely a whisper but Simon catches it and his heart bursts and then breaks.

“I do mean it,” he says seriously, ducking his head until Jace has no choice but to meet his stare, “I mean, I didn’t, not just then - but I could, I would, _I’d like to_. Fuck, Jace, you know I’m not good at this stuff.”

Because the many times he’s imagined doing this, in the late hours of the night when every thought can be written off as mostly dream, it’s never been in stutters at the Lightwood dinner table. But Jace’s smile is breaking through and Simon thinks maybe his own wordy way is somehow best.

Jace shakes his head, “You’re doing better than you think.”

And his hand finds Simon’s under the table, much like the start of the night but also worlds apart and he can’t wait to share this, and them, for real. 


End file.
